Out of the past: Oct. 9

1993

CHESTER, Ill. -- The McBride, Missouri-to-Chester ferry shuttle was halted yesterday because the water level over Highway 51 dropped too low to continue to safely operate the service; the highway is expected to reopen to limited traffic Monday.

What is described as one of the largest, most expensive rural bridges ever built in Cape Girardeau County is now open; the 200-foot-long, concrete deck and steel pier bridge over the Diversion Channel is on County Road 253, about three miles west of Whitewater; the bridge, which opened late last month, was constructed at a cost of $413,500.

1968

Two major Cape Girardeau highway projects are expected to be open to traffic in about two weeks; work on the extension of William Street to Interstate 55 and the rebuilt intersection at Cape Rock Drive and North Kingshighway are both moving smoothly at the moment, but both are behind schedule; work on the latter project can't be completed until traffic signals arrive.

The Charmin Paper Products Co., which is building a large industrial plant north of Cape Girardeau, has leased temporary office space in two buildings in the 200 block of Broadway; the company rented the former Harris Motor Car Co. at 232 Broadway from Umco Corp. and earlier had rented rooms in the Harris Building at Broadway and Lorimier Street.

1943

Shotgun shooting matches, usually booming this time of year, have given over to the war; the question of meat rationing points and scarcity of shotgun shells seem to have checked the matches; however, a few are looked for, when turkeys are ready for market, as poultry isn't rationed.

A street parade late Thursday, held in observance of Fire Prevention Week, drew a large crowd along streets to see it; floats and fire engines, as well as an elephant from a circus showing in town were in the line of march.

1918

Three new cases of Spanish influenza are reported in Cape Girardeau and are scattered throughout the city; at Illmo, the public schools are closed in the morning as a means of stamping out the epidemic of influenza, which is raging there; one report says there are nearly 200 cases in Illmo.

The steamer Ferd Herold is pulled off a sandbar near Wittenburg, Missouri, by the steamer Bald Eagle; the Ferd Herold, heavily loaded, was stuck on the sandbar two days.

-- Sharon K. Sanders